The present invention relates in general to radio data system (RDS) radio receivers, and more specifically to an improved user interface for accessing various RDS functions in the receiver.
Radio data systems such as the RDS system in Europe and the radio broadcast data system (RBDS) in the United States transmit auxiliary information within the radio broadcast to achieve various automatic functions of the receiver and to increase the utility of the receiver to a listener. The auxiliary information typically includes a traffic capable (TP) flag to identify broadcast stations which carry traffic announcements and a traffic announcement (TA) flag for identifying that a traffic announcement is currently being transmitted by the broadcast station. Other RDS flags are transmitted to identify emergency alert messages, news broadcasts, and weather announcements, for example. These flags allow a radio receiver to be automatically tuned to a broadcast station that provides traffic information for a driver of an automobile. In addition, a radio receiver can monitor a traffic capable station during times that the audio system is reproducing audio signals from a source other than a traffic capable radio station in order to automatically retune to the traffic announcement when one is present.
Another type of auxiliary information typically broadcasted includes a program type code or a program identification code that identifies a content type by which a broadcast station is operating (e.g., classical, rock, jazz, news, or even specific network programming). The program type (PTY) code allows a listener to seek or scan tune the radio receiver to a broadcast station of a particular program format.
In view of the many varied features which are facilitated by an RDS broadcast, the control panel for an RDS radio receiver becomes more complex than a standard radio receiver. The need for accessing a relatively large number of RDS features has resulted in radio receivers being cumbersome, and has required a listener to remember sequences of button presses to control the RDS features. Many prior art receivers have added additional push buttons to control various RDS features; however, space is limited, the additional button s increase costs, and additional buttons do not necessarily make a receiver easier to operate.